Liquid-fuel converter



:1 v1 F/Iillllllf: I/Illlllllll July 1, 1930.

P. w. ENSIGN LIQUID FUEL CONVERTER Filed Jan, 4, 1924 Patented July 1, 1930 ITED STATES PATENT OFF'ICIE'.

PAUL WILFRED ENSIGN,OF SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 IElNSIGrN CARBURETOR CO., LTD., OF HUNTINGTON PARK, CALI- FORNIA, A COBIPORATION OF CALIFORNIA LIQUID-FUEL CONVERTER Application filed January 4, 1924. Serial No. 684,309.

This invention'relates to improvements in apparatus of the type set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 1,408,277, for method of producing explosive mixtures of air and liquid fuel; and No. 1,408,27 8, for art 'of and means for liquid fuel conversion; issued to Orville H. Ensign, February 28, 1922, in which a pre-combustion of some heavier portions of liquid fuel is effected and the heat thereof utilized in the production of a combustiblemixture of air and fuel to be delivered past a throttle that controls the operation.

The invention more particularly relates to the production of Combustible oil gas by heat treatment of oil and air.

An object is to obtain for any particular phase or stage of operation of the fuel converter, a more specific separation of the heavier from the lighter portion of the liquid fuel, than heretofore, so as to utilize only such heavier parts of the heavier portions of thefuel as may be necessary to maintain in the combustion chamber such a fire as will produce the required conversion and the improved oil gas.

In this invention vaporization of the heavier liquid fuel is effected in the combustion chamber which becomes red hot from the combustion of a relatively small part of the heavier liquid.

An object is to separate from the heavier portions of the initial mixture of liquid fuel and air, and to introduce directly into the stream of hot gases from the combustion chamber, such portions of the heavier mixture of liquid fuel and air as are not needed to supply the partial combustion necessary to effect conversion.

It is understood that the terms passageway, opening, port, hole, and notch and the like designate elements that neecssarily includerespectively, the surface forming the border of what is referred to by such terms respectively, and such terms are used herein to indicate such elements including their border surfaces.

Another object is to provide a liquid fuel converter which will prevent any appreciable accumulation of carbon in the combustion chamber or in the gas flue.

Another object is to provide a liquid fuel converter which will inherently tend to produce a hotter fire when artificially cooled from the outside and which will tend toward a reduced temperature at the higher loads.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detail description and the appended claims.

.The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention in the form I at present deem most desirable.

Figure 1 is a vertical mid-section on line indicated at m w Fig. 3, of an apparatus constructed. in accordance with this invention, and employing asthe fuel and air proportioning device and mixer, a carburetor of' a well known type, in which the air properly proportions and violently disrupts fuel by vortex action. The converter is shown with its parts in position atrest; broken lines indicate the throttle in closed position for idling or very light loads.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental vertical section on the line shown at av -n2 Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental horizontal section on line. m w Fig. 1. Portions are broken away to contract the view.

F Fig. 4 is a fragmental section on line r -m This invention fundamentally includes a solid structure or main element shown as made up of various parts, and characterized by certain tangible features such as passages, ports, channels, grooves, sumps and flues having useful form and operation in the combination to effect the objects aimed at.

The invention may be carried out with apparatus embodying any of thevarious types and forms of carburetors or mixing valves or devices that will properly proportion the liquid fuel and air entering a mixture passage and from which passage a portion of fuel and air is diverted to the place Where combustion is effected to produce hot gases.

The mixing chamber 1 of the carburetor is shown as the initial proportioning and mixing chamber of the vaporizing carburetor and receives its air through the air inlet 2 and its liquid fuel through the fuel jet 3 in a well known manner and produces a more or less broken-up mixture of air and fuel, which is emitted from said mixing chamber into a horizontally extended mixture passage 4 that has a downwardly inclined fioor and has an abrupt upward bend at 5 and that communicates above the bend with an upwardly directed limb or vaporizin riser 6 which is open to the throttle cham er 7, that is separated by the throttle 8 on shaft 8 from the diffusion chamber 9 in which diffusion of the hot gases, the liquid fuel and air mixture, and consequent distribution of the heat takes place thus converting the fuel into a comustlble oil gas formed by a union of air,

combustion gases and oil vapor, that is ready 1 for explosive combustion in any suitable place to which it may be directed from said diffusion chamber, and preferably in the cylinders of an internal combustion engine.

The diflusing chamber may be of any suitable form and is shown as the intake for an internal combustion engine manifold not shown, by which suction is applied to produce the required operation of the mixture passage 4, upward bend 5 and vaporizing riser 6.

in proportions to roduce an explosive mixture; so that the nal product issuing from the diffusion chamber 9 is adapted for complete combustion without addition of either air or liquid fuel.

Liquid fuel is sup lied to the liquid fuel supply chamber 10 through the usual liquid fuel connections 11 controlled by the valve 12. A float 13 in the supply chamber cooperates with the valve 12 to maintain the fuel in said chamber at a constant level 14.

Li uid fuel is delivered from the supply cham r10 through the fuel orifice 15 into the main fuel passage 16 from which it is delivered to the main air stream of the carburetor through the fuel jet 3.

The fuel supply chamber 10 and the mixing chamber 1 are contained in the parts A and B,"respectively. The mixture passage 4 is contained in the converter body G into which the throttle member D is threaded as at 6. Said member D is clamped in place in the body C by means of the screw a which operates in the lugs b to clamp the body C onto the threaded end of the member D.

The parts A, B and the body C are secured together by means of the tube 0 which contains the fuel jets 3 and is threaded at one end into the cover d and is threaded at its other end to receive the nut e which engages the converter body and holds said parts and body in assembled position.

Said body member C is threaded at its lower end to receive the bowl-shaped member E which makes an air tight fit therewith and forms a combustion chamber 17 arranged im mediately below the mixture assage to heat the contents thereof. A distri uter F within the combustion chamber is supported from the underside of the converter body C by screws 18 and is spaced from said body by the flanged bushings 19 through which the screws 18 pass, to provide a space forming a draft passage 20 between the distributer and; the roof of the combustion chamber or the underside of the body C. 22 is a hot gas flue opening from the combustion chamber near the floor thereof, and extending through the riser to the diffusion chamber, and in practical operation, the draft through this flue causes such combustion in the combustion chamber that hot gas is produced and passes through the flue to mingle with the contents of the diffusion chamber and to mix with the hot va ors produced in the mixture assage.

he distributer F is provide with an extension 21 that extends ne arly to, and opens upwardly from near, the bottom of the combustion chamber 17 and said extension has a bore 21 that communicates with and is of the same size as the bore 22 of the gasifying flue 22 which is secured at its lower end in the distributer F. Said flue 22 extends through a bore 23 in a dam 24 that extends across the lower end of the mixture passage 4, and then continues to extend upwardly through the gasifying riser 6 to a point where 1ts upper end may be closed by the throttle 8 when the throttle is in closed position. The upper end of the gasifying flue 22 is retained in assembled position by means of the screw 25 threaded into a boss 26 welded to said flue and accommodated in the recess 26 formed in one side of the riser 6.

17' isa restricted air port above the lowest level of the bottom of the bowl-shaped chamber 17 and near the level of the inlet to the gas flue 22 to supply air to the flame flow ng toward the gas flue from the edge of ignited liquid hydrocarbon accumulations on the floor of the combustion chamber.

The upper end of the flue 22 is provlded with a notch 27, and the adjacent wall of the throttle chamber 7 and diffusion chamber 9 is provided with an upwardly widening fanshaped groove or channel 28, with the lower narrow end of which, the notch 27 communicates. Said notch and groove thus forms a b -pass around the edge of the throttle to .a low a draft to be maintained when. the throttle is closed and to allow a radual increase in volume of flow-from t e gas flue 22 into the diffusion chamber 9 as the throttle is initially opened. At such openin movement, the area of communication etween I to below the riser 6, and is of an oval shape;

and is provided throughout the major portion of its length with a drain groove 30 arranged along the midwidth of said floor 29; and said floor slopes from its lateral edges to said groove so that liquid reaching the floor will flow into the groove and find its way to the lowest part of the mixture passage 4, centrally below the riser 6.

The dam 24 checks the flow of condensed liquid fuel in the mixture passage during certain speeds and is provided on its top near the walls of the mixing chamber, with bosses 31 in which are provided passages 32 that extend to the draft passage from a point above the dam so that a ,down draft passage is formed by passages 32 and the passage 20,

through which air or mixture of'fuel and air may freely pass from the mixture passage to the combustion chamber, free from condensed or liquid fuel.

Annular channels 33, 34, that extend around the as flue 22 are provided inthe converter body C and said channels are separated from each other by a bushing plug 34.

A restricted liquid fuel passage 35 opening downwardly from the groove in the floor of the mixture passage 4 and arranged adjacent to the gas flue 22 and between such flue and the mixing chamber 1 leads down through such floor into the annular channel 314 which surrounds the gas flue 22 below such oor.

A stand pipe 36 on the side of said gas flue opposite to the fuel passage leads from the mixture passage 4 at a distance above the floor of such passage 4 to receive-mixture which has passed the flue 22 and become heated thereby; and the stand pipe 36 opens into the annular channel 34, and said channel opens downwardly through an outlet 37 into the combustion chamber.

The channel 34 is connected to a nozzle outlet 37 which is formed by a flanged bushing that makes an air tight fit between the distributer F and the roof of the combustion chamber. Said outlet 37 is adapted to deliver fuel received in the .channel 34, from 'the groove 30 through the fuel passage 35,

into the combustion chamber 17. The duct 38 connects the stand-pipe 36'with the combustion chamber through a bore 39 provided in the converter body.

A port 40 open to the channel 33 leads from the drain groove 30 in the mixture passage 4 between the dam 24 and the fuel passage 35. The mixture passage 4 and the sump are also open to the channel 33 throug a port 41 leading from the sump into the channel 33 and said channel 33 is connected through openings 42 to the bore 22 of the gas flue 22, so that the mixture passage 4 is connected on both sides of the dam and gas flue, with the bore of the gas flue.

A spark plug 43 is threaded into the bore 39 and has anelectrode 44 extending through a notch 45 in the distributer F, which is provided with a lug 46 with which the electrode 44 makes a spark gap.

An air bleed 47 open to the atmosphere is provided opposite the duct 38 for supplying air to the bore 39 in the region of the spark plug to insure against too rich a mixture which would prevent ignition.

Due to the restricted openings into the coni- I bustion chamber and the relatively free flow therefrom through the gas flue 22 the combustion chamber is at all times under a slight suction which is utilized to assist in obtaining thelow speed and idling mixtures in the carburetor element. This suction or depresaion is applied to the suction chamber 48 through an idling by-pass comprising a port 4-9 opening from said chamber 17 into an inclined passage 50, annular chamber 51, and suction passage 52 which is extended by tube 53 that opens into the suction chamber 48 well above the fuel passage 16 which is slightly above the constant level 14'.

The depression applied to the suction chamber through the idling by-pass is vented by a valved vent 54 which opens from the mixture passage into the inclined passage 50. The vent 54 is controlled by a valve 55 which is held in position by a spring 56.

Asufficient depression or suctionis appliedto the suction chamber 48 through the liquid fuel jet's3andthe main fuel passage 16 and through the idling by-pass to cause fuel to be lifted from the normal level 14 over the top of the fuel passage 16 from which it flows by gravity to the jets 3.

In operation the main air stream entering the mixing chamber 1 through the air inlet 2 produces a properly proportioned mixture of air and liquid fuel for use in internal combustion engines. Such mixture is emitted from the mixture chamber 1 into the horizontally directed inclined mixture passage 4,

.having itsfloor downwardly aslant where through the riser 6, past the throttle 8, and into the diffusion chamber 9.

The liquid fuel accumulated on the floor 29 will flow by gravity down the more or less oval-shaped passage 4 into the groove 30 from which a limited amount and a definite proportion of such accumulated liquid fuel will be delivered through the restricted liquid fuel passage 35, and annular chamber 34 directly into the combustion chamber from the nozzle Said nozzle 37 is supplied from the mixture in which the spark plug is mounted, thereby making sure of ignition of the combustibles in the combustion chamber. Such mixture is provided with a predetermined amount of air entering through the air vent 47 and by this introduction of air and mixture to the region of the spark-plug electrode 44 the mixture will not become too rich at any time around the electrode to prevent ignition, thereby nsuring a clean spark plug under all conditions of operation in a smothered flame.

Simultaneously with the foregoing operation the suction of the engine and the flow of the main air stream will create a draft in the gas flue 22, and when the apparatus is cold such draft will draw air into the combustion chamber 17 through the passages 32 and through the restricted air inlet 17 to supply air to theflame flowing to the gas flue; and when the apparatus is hot or when using light gasoline, combustible mixture will be drawn through the passages 32. Such air or mixture is delivered over the top of the distributer F into the space 20 from which it flows in an even thin stream into the combustion chamber proper at the periphery of said distributer.

When the apparatus is cold the choke g is closed or partly closed to simply start the into action the instant the engine turns over.

A spark should be formed with every explosion in the engine cylinders, more or less.

With the engine operating at light loads or partly opened throttle the depression beyond the throttle will be communicated to the combustion chamber 17 through the .by-

of depression in the chamber 17 will flow through the restricted liquid fuel passage 35 opening from the bottom of the mixture pas-. sage and be delivered into the chamber 17.

The amount of fuel delivered through passage 35 to the chamber 17 is very small so that it may be said that practicallyall of the fuel accumulating in the passage 4 will flow over the fuel passage 35, and being checked by the dam 24, will pass directly into the gas flue 22 through the port 40, annular channel 33,'an-d openings 42.

After the engine has been running a very short time at such low speeds or at engine idling speed, the floor of the passage 4 becomes very hot and less fuel will be delivered from the nozzle 37 into the chamber 17. However some vaporized fuel will now be admitted to the chamber 17 through the passages 32.

a At small openings of the throttle the con-, densed liquid fuel on the floor of the passage 4 will be completely checked by the dam 24; butat greater openings ofthe throttle a part of such condensed fuel will be carried over the dam 24, by the higher velocity and such fuel will also be directly admitted to the gas flue 22 through the port 41, channel 33, and openings 42.

The ports 40 and 41, by discharging directly into the gas flue 22"provide means to limit the amount of liquid fuel which at any time can flow into the combustion chamber 17, and direct the excess of unvaporized fuel directly into the hot gases flowing therethrough which tends to crack the excess fuel into more hydrocarbon fractions and turn it into a cloud of vapor that turns into' a fog when it meets the cold air coming through riser 6. This diversion of the excess fuel tends to prevent any appreciable accumulation of carbon in the combustion chamber 17, and the more or less complete vaporizing of the fuel in the gas flue 22 prevents appreciable accumulation of carbon therein.

'When operating under heavier loads most of the fuel that condenses in the passage 4 is blown over the liquid fuel passage 35 due to increased velocity of the air stream, and is directed into the gas flue through the ports 40 and 41; so that upon more and more opening of the throttle a proportionately smaller amount of the liquid fuel is delivered to the chamber 17.

However, to this small amount of liquid fuel is added a largeproportion of mixture and atmospheric air from the restricted air "that the heat thus absorbed in con unction with the cold air and mixture flowing I through the riser results in a very cool but highly inflammable mixture for full load, whereas, upon closing the throttle all these conditions are instantly reversed and the volume of the total flame is cut down because the proportion of liquid fuel to mixture entering the combustion chamber 17 is increased and the total amount of cooling effect from the mixture is decreased with a corresponding raise of mixture temperature, thereby producing a very desirable and much hotter mixture for engine idling and light loads.

That is to say, in an atmosphere having a temperature of about 60 F. the operating load temperature of my converter when applied to an automobile when driving 50 miles an hour will be about 120 F.; at miles 1 an hour 125 F.; and from lesser speeds on.

down to an idle motor the temperature will gradually rise to 180 F.; while in traflic use the temperature is always around 170 F. Practically no change takes place in this gradient of temperature when the atmosphere is about 20 F.

' In other words the construction inherently tends to produce a hotter fire when the apparatus is artificially cooled from the outside, this is especially noticeable in starting the car up in freezing weather as in the first few minutes of operation there is a strong roar from the flame in the combustion chamber 17 until vaporization takes place in the bottom of the mixture passage 4 and the vmixture passing downinto the combustion chamber from above the floor of the passage by way of the passages 32 smothers the flame, thereby tending to maintain a higher temperature in-cold weather and a lower temperature in hot weather, maintaining a higher temperature at light loads or idlewhen flexibility is desired and immediately lowering such combination, means for producing a proportlonate mlxture of air and 011; a mam mixture passage having an elbow formed by an abrupt upward bend, and leading from said mixture producing means around such elbow said main mixture passage into the top' of said combustion chamber, and comprising a stand pipe extending above the floor of the mixture chamber.

2. In an apparatus for makingoil gas by heat treatment of oil and air, the combination with means for producing a proportionate mixture of oil and air, and a mixture passage having an inclined floor leading downward from said proportioning means; a gasifying riser extending upward from said passage; a throttle to control said riser; a combustion chamber arranged underneath saidmixture passage to heat the contents of said passage; an oil supply passage and mixture supply passage adapted to deliver a mixture of oil and air from said mixture passage into said combustion chamber; a gas flue leading from near the bottom of said combustion chamber to deliver products of combustion to the said throttle and adapted and arranged to be controlled by the throttle and to heat the riser; and means connecting the mixture passage to said gas flue to deliver separated oil from the mixture passage into the gas flue for vaporizing such oil, said means comprlsing a channel surrounding the gas flue between the mixture passage and the combustion chamber and opening into the gas flue above the combustion chamber.

3. A liquid fuel converter provided with a horizontal mixture passage having a downwardly inclined flo'or; said converter com prising mixture proportioning means adapted to deliver mlxture downward into said mixture passage; a gasifying riser extending from said passage; a throttle to control said passage; a combustion chamber arranged below the floor of said mixture passage to heat said floor and the contents of said riser; a gas flue leading from said combustion chamber to said throttle and adapted and arranged to conduct products of combustion from the combustion chamber through the riser to vaporize the contents thereof and arranged to becontrolled by said throttle; a distributor .70 and upward therefrom; a gaslfymg rlser exin said combustion chamber and supported near the roof thereof; and passages opening from the mixture passage above the floor of said mixture passage to the top of said distributer to provide a path for air and liquid fuel to be delivered from said mixture passage to said combustion chamber around the outer periphery of said distributer and to the gas flue above the inlet thereto. 4. In a liquid fuel converter comprising a diffusion chamber and means to proportion fuel and air to produce a combustible mixture, a mixture passage leading from said means; a riser adapted to conduct the mixture from said passage to the diffusion chamber; a throttle between said passage and the diffusion chamber; a dam extending across the mixture passage and forming a sump; a combustion chamber arranged to heat said mixture passage; a gas fine to conduct hot gases from said combustion chamber to said diffusion chamber, and arranged to heat the riser; a liquid fuel delivery passage to deliver fuel from the bottom of the mixture passage to said combustion chamber; and means to deliver fuel from said sump directly into said gas flue. I

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 28th 30 day of December, 1923.

. PAUL WILFRED ENSIGN. 

